R&R R&R Dead which had some crazy pyrotechnics. I aside, the number one reason why I want tures Paul Ritch, Luigi Madonna, Joran implemented these ideas into the show. We to bring it to India, was Rocco because van Pol, Tuhin Mehta and a live set by were the first to do a proper laser show, with when you meet him and spend time around Bl@nk. Post Goa, Awakenings will be trav- fireworks inside! It blew people away because him, you’ll be completely bowled over by his eling to Manchester in February, followed Tales: From Dutch it was such an experience.” infectious energy and personality. You can’t by New York and then Antwerp in April. This month, Rocco is bringing Awaken- help but want to work with him.” Rocco’s personality and his genuineness is ings as a special stage to VH1 Supersonic in At Supersonic, day one has Awakenings also one of the reasons that a few of the art- Raves to Goa Parties December, in Goa, back to the sands once presents Drumcode with Adam Beyer, ists who perform at Awakenings are in for traveled. Rocco was never completely ful- Ida Engberg, Bart Skils and Arjun Vag- the long-haul, forming a sort of family. “I Catch the iconic Netherlands-based techno festival Awakenings at VH1 Supersonic, Goa this filled with the sounds he heard at the raves ale. Day two has Awakenings presenting used to, especially in the early years, al- here but the electrifying atmosphere and the Joris Voorn & Friends with Joris Voorn, a ways pick the DJs up from the airport when month. We trace its eventful story through the eyes and ears of its founder, Rocco Veenboer sense of community stayed marinating in DJ set by Kölsch, Nic Fanciulli, B.L.O.T! they’d arrive. I’ve always had a connec- his mind.“The music was different in Goa. and Baba Robijn and finally, day three fea- tion with them, as a promoter. There are so Sven Vath at one of the I learned about Goa trance, going to many nice people working in the scene, and initial editions of Valley, Bamboo Forest and other places, but one of my best friends among them is Adam Awakenings it took a while to hear that sound all night “When I came to Goa, I Beyer. We’ve been working together and long. But the vibes were amazing and they liked how the people in been tight-knight since 1998… I’m really were, for sure, the best parties,” says Rocco, happy he’s coming to Supersonic! I’ve always who would stay at Gabriel’s Guest House in the trance scene created liked bringing my friends to play. I was at Calangute on his many visits (The place is visuals. It was mainly his wedding, he was there, the night I met still there). outdoors, but a lot of my wife. It’s been an amazing journey. There A success from the start, in 2001, are such huge DJs at Awakenings, but we’ve Awakenings grew into an outdoor fes- time, energy and money all grown over the last 17 years. We’re at the tival with 10,000 people attending. went into putting the top of our games, but still working together.” Fifteen years later, they pull in 70,000 over night together.” Rocco also has the ability to bring people two days; every successive year adds a few together in a harmonious manner — thousands. While they kicked perhaps it’s because of his off with a crowd that was 80 background in anthropolo- percent Dutch, they now have gy. “When I was younger I people flying in from over 80 listened to so much different countries, forming a truly in- music, and there was so many ternational crowd. The line- scenes … a lot of reggae, punk, up, the visuals, the venue, the new wave. I liked all those setting, the sound and lights people and listened to a lot — they all combine to form of Sixties’ stuff as well. But an explosive blitz. Whether with every scene there was a it’s a night at Gashouder or a particular style associated stage at a festival [at the Am- to it. If you were punk, you sterdam Dance event, for in- dressed punk, if you were new stance], a sea of fans will al- wave, you were a part of that ways flood in. vibe. I liked all those people. Nikhil Chinapa, who is re- I wore what I wore because I sponsible for bringing Awak- wanted to be a part of all of it. enings to VH1 Supersonic, That’s what I liked about the ithin the vast world of tech- ing this period. I used to go out with friends sold out on a night that had house-oriented says, “Beyond just the music techno scene. It’s more or less no, Awakenings has become back then and noticed there was huge gap in techno and a lineup that included May and that is spectacular, it’s the open all over the world and more than just a festival or the music. There was hardcore at a 150 BPM Billy Nasty. “We found that you could real- level of detailing that goes everyone can step into it.” an organisation. Spectacular [beats per minute] and then , ly build a night starting at 130 BPM, ending into Awakenings. But all that AMBIKA MUTTOO Wproduction and music aside, there’s clear- which was at a 120 BPM. There was not at 140. The production at the time was not ly something else that sets the Netherland- much happening in between,” says Rocco. state-of-the-art, but we learnt pretty fast, based techno celebration apart — a vibe This continued till 1997. Around this time, and one year later we started doing week- Awakenings grew into an that locks in people into an almost medi- there was also a new European techno enders. Then, when you can do two nights, outdoor festival in 2001 tative trance, hours on end, at both ends of movement burgeoning in the city. Amer- you can go even bigger with production.” with 10,000 people the console. ican producers Derrick Rocco had dabbled in putting up a host of attending. Today, it pulls in 70,000 In contrast to its global following today, events prior, but Awakenings is really when May and Stacey Pullen happened to be liv- over two days Awakenings had rather humble roots in Am- ing in Amsterdam. Artists liked Adam it all came together. He says, “It was around sterdam in the Nineties. Founder Rocco Beyer, Marco Carola and Sven Vath were Easter, and I didn’t even know what it meant Veenboer, known mononymously as Rocco, at the helm, creating music and making from a religious point of view… with the shares the story of the growth of Awakenings waves. “I had the idea of the Awakenings whole ‘rising’ connotations. I just thought from a party in 1997 to a full-fledged multi- concept then, to fill that gap musical- Awakenings was a nice name!” stage outdoor festival and brand today. Ser- ly. But first, I had to find the perfect loca- That first show was also when all the influ- endipitously enough, it is a story that comes tion,” says Rocco. That’s when the now fa- ences imbibed during Rocco’s many trav- full circle in our little slice of paradise, Goa, mous Gashouder was discovered. The venue, els came into play. “When I came to Goa, I later this year. located in an old industrial building in a gas- liked how the people in the trance scene cre- “There was a time in ’91 when there was a works complex, is now synonymous with ated visuals. It was mainly outdoors, but a growing scene in Amsterdam, with a lot of Awakenings. Back then, it was one of the key lot of time, energy and money went into put- illegal raves and many other parties. The fa- milestones on the roadmap. The first edition ting the night together. I saw the same thing

mous club, Roxy, was also happening dur- of Awakenings, at the Gashouder in 1997, when I went to New York for The Grateful IMAGES COURTESY OF AWAKENINGS

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